Supporting Prison Leavers Into Work While Addressing Skills Shortages

The Brett Group is working with the local Kent prison Employment Advisory Board to create a pathway to offer employment opportunities to prison leavers.

This work follows an Employment Forum attended in February by Bill Brett, Chairman of the Brett Group. The event brought together employers, prison and probation representatives, and prison leavers to discuss routes into employment.

Brett employs around 700 people across the South, including approximately 220 in Kent. The forum offered an opportunity to understand what preparing prison leavers for employment looks like in practice, and to learn from businesses who have a well-developed link to identify, recruit and then develop talent within their organisations.

Bill Brett Chairman of the Brett Group said: “Like many employers, we’re always looking for talented, committed people. What struck me during that forum was that here was a genuine pool of talent that we hadn’t considered”.

“It was interesting to hear directly from organisation leaders who shared their own positive experiences and successful track records of employing prison leavers. These were real, practical and enduring examples, and they demonstrated that with the right support, this can work for both employers and employees.”

Connecting employers, skills and opportunities

Employment Advisory Boards operate in more than 90 prisons across England and Wales. Each is chaired by a business leader and works closely with prison governors and teams responsible for education, employment and resettlement.

The boards bring employers’ experience into prisons, helping them understand the skills and qualifications businesses need and shape training around local employment opportunities. They also encourage businesses to get involved, sharing their knowledge and connections to help people prepare for work before release.

Their aim is to help more people move from prison into employment they can sustain. The boards are a partnership between HM Prison and Probation Service, New Futures Network and the Timpson Foundation.

Developing an approach at Brett

Samantha Follington, Group Head of People, said: “Working with people who may face barriers to employment helps Brett broaden the pool we recruit from, while building a pipeline of skills into the business. We’ve been working closely with Jo Rose and Vicky Johnson from the Employment Advisory Board to explore opportunities across our sites, as well as involving senior operational leaders in prison visits and a Brett-focused session at HMP Standford Hill. We’ll now build on this by exploring opportunities through Release on Temporary Licence and work experience placements.”

Bill Brett said: “Recruitment, for us, is never simply about filling vacancies. Here there is an opportunity to find people with potential, to help them transition into work, build a successful career and make a meaningful contribution to the business.”